PFF Shines on Incognito Rookie for Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings have about 25-30 rookies on the current roster, showcasing a full 90-man unit until roster cuts are due at the end of summer.
One Vikings rookie got a little bit of love from Pro Football Focus.
Per usual, the undrafted free agency haul turns heads from a Vikings perspective, and annually, folks wonder which UDFAs might make the team.
According to Pro Football Focus, that’s BYU pass rusher Tyler Batty this year.
PFF Picks OLB Tyler Batty as “UDFA to Watch”
PFF’s Ben Cooper sized up one UDFA from each team this week to monitor in the summer, and for the Vikings, Batty got the call.
Cooper wrote, “The Vikings appear flush with defensive line talent and drafted edge defender Dallas Turner in the first round a year ago. There still may be room for a talented UDFA such as Batty to crack the roster or practice squad, though.”
“Batty posted a solid 13.5% pass-rush win rate and earned a 76th-percentile PFF run-defense grade in 2024. His undrafted status was surprising, considering he ranked 116th on PFF’s big board and racked up 143 quarterback pressures during his college career.”
Batty is a part of a class containing about 20 UDFAs, meaning he’ll have to shine at training camp and in the preseason to avoid the practice squad or outright roster release.
Batty with a Puncher’s Chance at Making the Team
At the top of the ticket for outside linebackers, Minnesota employs Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner, a wonderfully productive trio to headline the defensive trenches.
After those men, it’s a UDFA playground.
Batty will battle two UDFAs from last year, Bo Richter and Gabriel Murphy, for a roster spot, and as far as summer camp battles go, well, Batty has a chance.
It should not be insurmountable to dethrone Richter or Murphy.
He’s Old. Really Old.
The knock on Batty? The guy is old — like really old for a rookie.
Batty is 26. Full stop. He should be searching for an extension on his rookie deal per age. But that’s not the case for the new Viking, as he played all five seasons at BYU from 2020 to 2024.
Most general managers don’t draft 26-year-old rookies, paving the way for Batty to turn purple after the draft in undrafted free agency.
Vikings as UDFA Kings
Minnesota has this process figured out like gangbusters. After every draft, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah works the phone lines to secure the league’s top undrafted free agents, offering top dollar and more than most franchises.
Often, Minnesota will have already met with the prospect, building the bridge for the rookie relationship.
This go-round, Adofo-Mensah notably signed Batty, Kansas OT Logan Brown, Minnesota QB Max Brosmer, Wisconsin OG Joe Huber, and Texas WR Silas Bolden, among others.
Adofo-Mensah is rapidly becoming the envy of the league for undrafted free agent dealings.
Other Batty Takes
Janik Eckardt of PurplePTSD.com added additional insight on Batty this week.
He opined: “Among those 91 players are numerous undrafted rookies, including some high-profile players like quarterback Max Brosmer, tight end Ben Yurosek, offensive tackle Logan Brown, and Tyler Batty, an edge defender from BYU.”
“Indeed, there’s room for one or two more guys behind Pro Bowlers Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard and sophomore Dallas Turner. Patrick Jones departed in free agency, leaving his spot vacant because the Vikings haven’t addressed it in free agency or the draft.”
At least one undrafted free agent makes the Vikings’ September roster each year, so Batty cannot be ruled out.
Eckardt continued. “Usually, undrafted rookies are long shots to make the team, but Batty should have a decent chance considering his opponents for the remaining outside linebacker job(s) are also undrafted players in sophomores Gabriel Murphy and Bo Richter, as well as fellow undrafted rookie Chaz Chambliss.”
“Richter was pretty much exclusively a special-teams player last year in the deep edge-rushing group. Murphy missed most of the season injured. When he returned, he was higher in the rotation than Richter, but the special teams prowess could still give Richter the edge. Batty is already 25 years old. He’ll be a fun player to watch in the preseason, and the outside linebacker crew could be contested.”
Batty and his new teammates report to organized team activities in 12 days.
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